Overview
- The blaze at Flourish Stays bed-and-breakfast in Malviya Nagar killed 22 people after a Nigerian victim died in hospital, and at least 13 of the dead were foreign nationals.
- Investigators say the fire began in the ground-floor kitchen when an oil fryer was left on and that almost 30 minutes passed before the first emergency call, allowing flames to intensify and spread.
- Police allege major safety and licensing breaches, including operation of far more rooms than permitted, lack of a fire NOC, sealed or single exit routes and combustible finishes that likely trapped guests.
- Three central suspects are now in custody: owner Lavkesh (Lovkesh) Bajaj, cook Keshav Negi whose bail was denied, and accountant/manager Jay (Jai) Mishra who surrendered and was remanded for questioning.
- Authorities are awaiting FSL reports and have sought technical help, including a possible IIT‑Delhi fire-propagation study, while municipal agencies have begun inspections, sealing and demolition drives to check similar violations.